Month: August 2025

Books Read in July 2025, Part 2

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Return of the Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner

Published 2020

My book logs tell me that I discovered this series in 2022 and I enjoyed them, but somehow I had missed reading the last installment. Wanting a tale of adventure with a clever plot twist, I returned to the series finale, and was not disappointed. 

The Queen’s Thief Series (6 books) is about the political machinations of several small fantasy-Greece-esque countries on a peninsula who are trying to maintain their own sovereignty in the face of larger mainland forces who want to conquer them for their emperor’s own enrichment. 

Each book follows a specific point of view character, and in this case it is Pheris, the disabled grandson of an influential baron. Pheris is sent to represent his family at court by his grandfather, under the assumption that the king will send him back to be disposed of. However, the king (used to being underestimated himself) decides to keep Pheris as an attendant, realizing that his physical disabilities have nothing to do with his mental capabilities. Pheris is clever and observant, and it is interesting to see the story unfold from his perspective. 

With the final book in a series, you’re always hoping that the author sticks the landing, because it could either bring the story to a satisfying conclusion or be a stumble that taints the entire project. In this case, I am happy to say that I liked the ending, and I enjoyed this visit with familiar and new characters. 

The Nine Tailors, by Dorothy Sayers

Published 1934

A couple books after Lord Peter’s railway timetable adventures comes Lord Peter’s church-bell-ringing adventure. 

After really enjoying “Have His Carcase” and “Murder Must Advertise,” I have to say that this is not a favorite installment of Sayers’ mysteries. This one has a lot of information about English bell-ringing, which is a bit abstruse. Thankfully even if I didn’t follow everything that was happening with the bells, the rest of the mystery to discover the identity of an extra body found in a grave and who the killer might be was easier to follow. 

Lord Peter and his faithful valet Bunter are smart as ever, and there were still things to enjoy, even if I found the bell ringing descriptions confusing and sometimes a little tedious. I didn’t race through this one like I did the previous book, but it was still fine enough that I wanted to see what happened at the end. 

The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner

Published 1996

After reading the conclusion of the series, I went back and re-read the first installment. The point of view character in this story is Gen, a thief who has stolen a ring from the king of Sounis, boasted of his skill, and been locked in the king’s prison as a result. One day he is freed by the king’s magus and brought on an adventure because the king requires his skills to steal something else. 

This is an adventure story that starts slowly as Gen and his companions start their journey toward whatever it is that Gen is supposed to steal for the king. About halfway through the book though, things start really happening, and the pace and the stakes keep ratcheting up to a twist and a satisfying conclusion. 

I don’t want to say too much, as part of what I enjoyed about this book was the journey and the surprises. This is an engaging story with likable characters, and I enjoy Greek-myth-adjacent stories (technically this is a fantasy world, not ancient Greece, but… these people are pretty clearly Greek). 

It was interesting to re-read after knowing what happens and where the series goes after this book. Each subsequent book deepens the characters and the political machinations that are only barely touched in this first story. A fine beginning to a YA series I enjoyed (it is a Newberry Honor book, so clearly others have enjoyed it as well). 

Books Read in July 2025, Part 1

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Murder Must Advertise, by Dorothy Sayers

Published 1933

In this installment, Lord Peter goes undercover as an employee at a London Advertising Agency. One of the agency’s employees has fallen down a stairwell to his death, and the man in charge is not sure if it was accidental or not. Lord Peter quickly discovers that there is a link between the firm and a drug dealing operation and must use his wits and his working-class man disguise to get to the bottom of the murder and the drug ring. 

The agency had strong Mad Men vibes; just change the time period to the early 1930’s with slightly less alcohol (slightly). The office culture feels creative and chaotic, with different departments getting in each other’s way and with the petty rivalries that accompany most office dramas. 

It’s a different setting for Lord Peter, which was a nice change of pace, and I enjoyed this installment more than the previous Scottish artist installment. 

Wormwood Abbey and Drake Hall, by Christina Baehr

Published 2023, 2024

My Mom recommended this YA series “The Secrets of Ormdale” as a“wind down before bed when you’re stressed out from studying” read, and they definitely worked for that purpose! 

Edith Worms and her family relocate to her father’s ancestral home in northern England when his brother and nephew are killed and he inherits the estate (it’s 1899 and therefore preposterous to think that her female cousin might inherit). 

The house and her cousin are somewhat dark and dour, clearly hiding secrets from Edith and her family. The attractive young man from the neighboring estate seems to be in on the secrets as well, and Edith has to unravel what is going on and also why they are so keen to keep these secrets from the outside world. There may be dragons involved…. 

I would describe these (and the author similarly describes them) as “cozy, light gothic vibes” books (do not fear: tea is served at regular intervals). They are fast-paced, appropriate for middle grade readers, and each book is pretty short (there are 5 in the series). Each subsequent book picks up right where the previous book leaves off. These are not earth-shattering, but are entertaining;  Victorian England + dragons is a fun combination, and the author clearly set her book in this time period to give nods to classic 19th century British authors. I am not sure if I will continue the series, but twelve-year-old me probably would have enjoyed them, and while there are some darker topics hinted at, they are handled with a light age-appropriate touch. 

Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner

Published 2021

There are times in our lives that are important milestones for looking back, for contemplating our lives and relationships, and reinterpreting them in light of what we have learned. There are things that are part of me at age 39 that I couldn’t have adequately explained or known at age 29. 

Memoirs are a way of recontextualizing our lives, of telling a story about who we are and how we got there. Here Michelle Zauner explores her complicated relationship with her mother after her mother’s death from cancer. 

It is a way of honoring her mother and her own journey, and a way of trying to tell the truth about who her mother was and work through her emotions and judgments now that her mother is gone. Food was a central way her mother showed her love for her daughter and for the people around her, which is something I love: food is such a central part of being human and the food of one’s childhood is especially powerful. Zauner’s descriptions of Korean food made me immediately want to head to my nearest Korean restaurant and order one of everything, and it also made me think about some of the food of my childhood and the meals my family ate that are such a part of me—food can be a time travel device to memories and cooking can be therapy. 

I enjoy learning about people and about food, so this was in a great intersection for me. It is also about reflecting on the death of a parent, so just know going in that it will be both mouth-watering and also tear-inducing. Kind of like life. 

My husband pointed out that while I have read multiple memoirs over the past few years, they are all memoirs written by women. Maybe I need to expand my memoir range–if you have any suggestions written by men, I am open to those! Especially if they have descriptions of food.